GA airport in Paris

john smith wrote:

In article , Owen wrote:

Cub Driver wrote:

On Wed, 9 Aug 2006 11:17:31 +0200, "Frode Berg"
wrote:

I heard other pilots in French however, so I tried to call and ask if
anyone
could hear my transmission.

Many years ago, I visited Montreal, and discovered that whenever I
addressed a local in French, he replied in English.

More recently, again in Montreal, I found that a great change had
taken place. Now, whenever I addressed a local in English, he replied
in French.

It's not that French-speakers don't know English; it's just that they
now prefer to speak French. I'll bet that more French pilots
understood your transmission than would be the case for a
French-speaking pilot at an airport in the U.S.

It's only that they'd rather have you crash than break the rule that
French is the superior language for all purposes.

(Americans are not nearly so arrogant--only ignorant. We genuinely
don't know the other guy's language.)

Huh? So if someone prefers to speak in their language they are being
'arrogant'
or think their language is the "superior language for all purposes?' Reality
Check/ Tip: Even if someone took some classes back in school and speak second
etc. languages a bit, that doesn't mean that they necessarily feel
comfortable
speaking it, particularly to a stranger who may talk fast, have a different
accent then they learned, etc. That is even much, much more the case for
conversations with a lot of jargon, e.g. pilot talk. Being arrogant would
be
going to another land where another language is spoken natively and thinking
that
your own foreign language is so superior that natives should speak it, even
if
they can't or can't well. Don't take my word for it, learn another language
and
find that out for yourself.

Owen, are you saying that pilots in other countries are not required to
learn English to get their license?

Depends what you mean by 'other countries.' Many countries predominantly do not
speak English and naturally English is not required to fly airplanes in many
countries. In the USA, FAA does require US certificated pilots know English, and
pilots from other places should be able to speak the dominant language in USA,
English. English is theoretically spoken by ATC around the world in ICAO compliant
nations.

Owen, are you saying that pilots in other countries are not required to
learn English to get their license?

Depends what you mean by 'other countries.' Many countries predominantly do
not
speak English and naturally English is not required to fly airplanes in many
countries. In the USA, FAA does require US certificated pilots know English,
and pilots from other places should be able to speak the dominant language in
USA, English. English is theoretically spoken by ATC around the world in ICAO
compliant nations.

Thank you Rolf and Owen.
I learned something today.
I had always (incorrectly) believed that English proficiency was
required by all countries to acquire a pilot's license.